Research in both Germany and the United States says YES! Speaking pattern can cause you to have a 20% lower salary than co-workers that use the country’s standard speaking style. The fact is that every person speaks with an accent. Our accent reflects the geographic region of our childhood and our native language. People can…

What are fillers? These are sounds and words that take up space in your conversation but don’t provide any meaning. Words and sounds such as like, you know, okay, umm, and ah are common fillers. We use fillers to give us an extra second or two to form our next sentence. Fillers distract from your…

When you Google the top skills needed in management, communication is always at the top of the list, it’s no surprise that communication skills rank high on what’s essential for success in business. A good manager must be able to lead others, encourage teams of associates to work together, empathize with employees, and make presentations.…

The world of information technology is full of specific words and phrases that can throw a novice for a loop. Even after studying the technology in school, you might not be familiar with some of the idioms used in the workplace. Being able to understand these phrases and use them correctly can help you perform…

Our current situation encourages us to reflect on our professional position, our career goals and how we may get to the next step. Often, the next career position requires us to both enhance and develop new skills. If you are considering a managerial position, consider your communication skills. Listener friendly speaking patterns are essential for managers. Professionals who…

Have you ever had an experience where you were talking, but the person you were communicating with didn’t understand what you were saying? Communicating in a way that you are easily understood is important to both professional and social activities. My first and most important advice: Don’t stop talking! It is vital that we hear…

One issue I often encounter with clients looking to improve the professional tone of their speech is upspeak. This is when you say sentences that are a statement but end with a rising intonation (tone or pitch) like you would a question. Find my podcast at the end of this post. Upspeak can be heard…

Good communication skills are an important part of any successful business, from customer service to employee direction and interaction. The result of miscommunication can have a staggering effect on a company’s bottom line. David Grossman reported in his article “The Cost of Poor Communications,” a company with $100, 000 employees averages a loss of $62.4…

English is a tricky language because there are so many exceptions to rules of pronunciation and grammar. Pronunciation is tricky because the English alphabet has 26 letters in the alphabet, but most experts agree there are 44 different letter sounds! A fluent English speaker must learn all 44 sounds and be able to predict when…

Our voices should be clear, crisp and powerful. There are three basic things that influence the quality and sound of your speech: The size of your mouth The thickness and health of your vocal cords Your breath control Small children have high pitched voices because their mouths are small and their vocal cords are thinner.…